Today is Day #1 of The Road To Valour!
What’s a Sitrep? Sitrep stands for Situation Report. It is a standardized and concise report used by most military organizations to provide command and other units with timely and accurate information regarding the operational situation. In this case, I will report on who is with me, where we are, what we saw and anything special that may have occurred.
My apologies for taking so long to get this very important post published. I have been plagued with computer issues. Now that they are sorted out and I have a few minutes to prepare them, I will work to be more timely.
| The Stats | Today | Total (so far) |
|---|---|---|
| Distance (km) | 57.0 | 57.0 |
| Climb (m) | 559 | 559 |
On today’s ride I was joined by:
- Greg Kosar
- Enn Kiudorf
- Ernie MacDonald
- Mayor Patrick Johnstone, City of New Westminster, joined in from Metrotown
Stops along the Way
Stop 1
Seaforth Highlanders’ Armoury – Km 0!
Our starting point was the Seaforth Highlanders Armoury on Burrard Street, Vancouver. We were greeted by LCol Steve McNally, CO of the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada and his Regimental Sergeant-Major, CWO Lundie for a tour of the Armoury and a discussion about Ernest “Smokey” Smith, VC, the last living Canadian to wear the Victoria Cross.
Then as time started to run down we assembled to start the ride. Rolling out from the Armoury floor through the big blue doors, we departed at exactly 0900 hrs and were greeted by a beautiful sunny sky. Hopefully the rest of the ride goes as smoothly.
Stop 2
Beattie Street Armoury – British Columbia Regiment
Here we were greeted by Jim Barrett, a former officer of the British Columbia Regiment and a member of the Regimental Association.
Originally formed in 1883, the British Columbia Regiment is the oldest military unit in Vancouver. The Drill Hall, where the Regiment parades, is a heritage building located in downtown Vancouver. The two tanks in front of the Drill Hall make the Regiment a familiar landmark to the residents of Vancouver.
Jim then told us about the 5 Victoria Crosses won by members of the Regiment. The most won by any regiment in Canada.
- Edward Bellew, VC
- Robert Hanna, VC
- Michael O’Rourke, VC, MM
- Grahame Lyall, VC
- Walter Leigh Rayfield, VC
Stop 3
Burnaby Metrotown Rotary Club
After a short ride up the hill, we arrived at Burnaby Metrotown Rotary Club. Bala Naidoo introduced me for my presentation about the ride and the cause. Then after the meeting we went downstairs where a CTV video reporter was waiting to interview me.
If you want to view the short piece from the CTV news, click the link above. It will take you to a new page. You may need to navigate back to this page after watching it.
New Westminster’s Mayor Patrick Johnstone joined us for the ride into New Westminster.
Stop 4
New Westminster Armoury – Royal Westminster Regiment
Mayor Johnstone led the way as we made our way to the New Westminster Armoury, home of the Royal Westminster Regiment—the “Westies.” Upon arrival, we were warmly welcomed by members of the New Westminster Fire Department and several members of the Regiment.
After introductions and a quick tour of the Armoury, Bill White, the president of the Royal Westminster Regiment Historical Society, guided us to a memorial outside the Armoury dedicated to the Regiment’s two Victoria Cross recipients: Filip Konowal, VC, the only Ukrainian ever awarded the Victoria Cross, and John Keefer Mahony, VC. Chuck then presented me with a copy of the Regiment’s history, generously offering to safeguard it until my ride is complete and present it to me again at a later date.
As if that were not honour enough, Mayor Johnstone and his Executive Assistant, Sophie Schreder, then escorted me to the Mayor’s office, where the Mayor proudly opened the official visitor’s book and showed me some of the distinguished signatures already in its page. These included Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip (several times), Michael Jackson and Canadian actor Raymond Burr. Then he turned to the last page and asked me to sign it. My signature is now in a book with the Queen!
And if that wasn’t enough, this is where things became truly unforgettable.
It was time to get back on the road and to head to our first night destination in South Langley.
The new stal̕əw̓asəm Bridge, replacing the Patullo Bridge over the Fraser River, had not yet opened its cycling lanes. Sophie, found a solution — she arranged a police escort for our crossing. With one police vehicle leading and another following, Mayor Johnstone and the crew became the first cyclists ever to cross the new bridge.
It was an extraordinary moment: a symbolic beginning to The Road To Valour, marked by community support, military remembrance and an unforgettable sense of momentum.
Mayor Johnstone rode alongside us all the way to the edge of Langley before turning for home. From there, we continued on to the first pit stop of the journey—grateful, inspired, and fully underway.
Steve Shore, a fellow Rotarian, opened his home to us for this first night of The Road To Valour.
The Road To Valour
The Opening Chapter
The Road To Valour 